Medicine Bow National Forest begins almost at Centennial's doorstep. This eastern side of the forest gives quick access to the Snowy Range, where lakes, spruce forest, open meadows, and high ridges are close enough for a half-day but wild enough to feel like a real change from Laramie.
Use Centennial as the practical base and the forest as the reason for being here. In summer, hiking, fishing, camping, and photography are the main draws; in winter, the same landscape shifts toward snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling.